Saints: The AFC North’s new party pinata

By Randy  |   Wednesday, November 22, 2006  |  Comments( 2 )

New Orleans Saints
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There is an old Chinese proverb that goes something like this: "He wins his battles by making no mistakes. Making no mistakes is what establishes the certainty of victory."

Maybe Sean Payton needs to place those words on a black-and-gold banner and post it prominently above the New Orleans Saints' exit to the playing field. Didn't Lombardi equate turnovers to mental weakness? If that is so, and who shall doubt the great Lombardi, don't be surprised if you see the entire Saints team soon on Dr. Phil's couch.

How do you throw for over 500 yards and lose? How can that happen? Especially against the Cincinnati Bengals, a team that entered Sunday's game in a downfall of a landslide. A team in complete and utter disarray. A team with no identity. The archetypical example of a team that had lost its soul. Free Fallin', as Tom Petty would say.

Ask Drew Brees?

No doubt he has asked himself that very question countless times since Sunday's 31-16 debacle at the Superdome.

Are the Saints losing their mojo, Drew?

"We've proven we can move the ball against everyone we play. We're moving the ball up and down the field, we've been great on third down," said Brees. "It's just that one stat. And, unfortunately, the turnover stat is the most important."

No turnovers. It has become the latest mantra in New Orleans. Even those French Quarter preachers are shouting it from the rooftops out of their megaphones in the wee hours on Bourbon Street. In between hurricanes, that is.

Sunday proved to be the best of times and the worst of times for Brees, arguably the NFL's best offseason free-agent acquisition. The former Charger has been lights out, posting crazy numbers, in leading the NFC with over 3,000 passing yards through Week 11. Pretty heady stuff, what Drew has been doing to opposing secondaries.

Against the Bengals, Brees was simply off the chain, to borrow a phrase from the parlance of the street. Drew threw for 510 yards - one long pass away from breaking Norm Van Brocklin's record of 554 set back in the days when the ole' "Dutchman" was flinging spirals to Elroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch in 1951.

However, it was Brees' three interceptions - two occurring in the Bengals' end zone - that proved to be a morale deflater. In fairness to Brees, the Saints' receiving corps was "terrible," in the words of veteran Joe Horn. Devery Henderson, pressed into action when rookie sensation Marques Colston sprained his ankle, continues to bring new meaning to the word "inconsistent." Henderson has an uncanny ability to catch the "Blue-Grass miracles" and drop the ones that hit him directly in the hands. Let's just say Devery has a flair for the dramatic that may ultimately serve as his ticket out of the league.

Reggie Bush, the $60 million man, is striking fear in no opposing defense's heart as of late. The Bengals' 28th-ranked defense dissed him all week, and had the audacity to mock him unmercifully. The players said they weren't worried in the least about some rookie. You would think that may have lit a proverbial spark under Bush. No such luck. Reggie's longest run of the day was a pedestrian 8 yards.

Yet, at the heart of the Saints' ignominious fall from grace is the turnover ratio. At minus-9, they are tied for last in the league in that most vital of statistical categories. Chances say that with numbers like that, a team only has roughly a 25 percent chance of making the playoffs.

It is the very reason the Saints have become the AFC North's favorite party piñata. A whipping boy. Someone to despise. S-A-I-N-T-S spells victory on demand for the wounded warriors of the AFC North. First, the Ravens found new life against New Orleans, then the pulseless Steelers, with the Bengals following. Cincinnati became a contender again quicker than you can say "Ocho Cinco." Thank goodness the Browns aren't next on the schedule.

CBS analyst Boomer Esiason observed on Monday night how quickly a team can go from the penthouse to the outhouse in the NFL. Esiason has some personal experience with this. Boomer talked about how in a matter of weeks, a once-proud team can transform into a shadow of its former self. Witness the New York Giants.

While the Saints continue to cling to a share of the NFC South lead, much like a man clinging to the top of a mountain for dear life by his fingernails, make no mistake about it - New Orleans needs to stare down adversity on Sunday against the Falcons in Atlanta. When the dust settles and the smoke of battle clears, Sunday's winner will emerge as the primary challenger to the Carolina Panthers for the NFC South crown.

Said Brees to radio host Jim Rome on Tuesday afternoon, "It's about as close to a must win as it gets."


Get more must-read New Orleans Saints columns from Randy Savoie at RealFootball365.com
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